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Species Description
The Superb of Bird of Paradise is frugivorous bird found throughout the rainforests of New Guinea. It was believed to be a bird of the gods who never appeared on the ground until death, as the birds are quite secretive and difficult to find. The bird has an unusually low population of females, which results in fierce competition for mates; this, in turn, leads to the elaborate mating rituals for which the birds of paradise are known. The male Superb Bird of Paradise prepares a “dance floor”, scrubbing a patch of dirt or branch clean with leaves, and then attracts a female with a series of loud calls; the bird is also known as the arena bird, because it displays in tightly guarded areas called leks. When a female appears, the normally folded black feather cape and blue-green breast plate on the male pop up and spread around the head, obscuring the bird’s normal shape and creating an ellipse with legs. The male then performs a mating dance, rhythmically snapping its tail against the ground and hopping around in circles.
